🔗 Share this article Dozens Unaccounted For After Craft Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down in waters off the Gambian coast. The shipwrecked vessel was found aground on a sandbank, according to statements. No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and many others are lost after a boat transporting approximately two hundred people trying to get to the European continent overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say. The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release. 96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands. The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations. Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people perished trying. Ongoing Mission After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military reported. Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation. The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention. An Established Corridor This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land. Recently, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.